The Mask
by SecretlyADemon
Summary: Set in the Renaissance era, Kyoya Ootori is attending a ball to celebrate the Princess' birthday with another goal in mind. To stop the assassin threatening the Royal family. Everything changes however, with a simple encounter with a masked woman.


**Alright, here's a story set in the Renaissance, about our beloved Shadow King. XD Took me a while to edit this, then again another few times, so I apologize for any errors.**

**I don't own anything other than the plot, Blue Bell, and a few other unnamed characters.**

**These are links to Blue Bell's dress and mask, you can check them out if you wish. Just remove the dots and put in actual dots. :)**

The Dress http:/www(dot)bing(dot)com/images/search?q=Masquerade+Ball+Gowns+bronze&view=detail&id=&first=0&FORM=IDFRIR

The Mask http:/www(dot)bing(dot)com/images/search?q=bronze+Mask+For+A+Masquerade&view=detail&id=&first=91&FORM=IDFRIR

The Mask

Kyoya stood to the side of the room, a glass in hand as he watched the ball unfold before him. Ladies and gentlemen were dancing along with the music that was playing. Their faces covered by ceremonial masks and the women possessing a singular flower which decorated the skirts of their gowns. Laughter echoed around the hall, as the men and women danced. There was even few flowers exchanged.

"You are aware of your purpose?"

Kyoya turned to face his father casually, staring into his emotionless face blankly. He partly wished that-like his father-he didn't have to wear a mask, but his father was married and he was not. Alas, Kyoya was stuck wearing the mask for the night.

"I am aware," He replied taking a sip of his glass, his eyes once again wandering over the crowd.

"Then you should be out dancing. You cannot simply stand here and expect to complete your goal."

"I was under the impression only the ladies could ask the men to dance tonight." Kyoya countered casually, taking the final sip from his glass. He sensed his father's annoyance however, even though his sight was restricted under his mask.

"Then go socialize. You will not be asked to dance if the ladies do not know you exist."

Kyoya stopped himself from making a quick remark to his father. Instead, he simply bowed his head, and walked in the opposite direction disposing of his glass as he went.

He quickly caught sight of his friends as he made his way around the hall. Each of them were being courted by a woman-with the exception of Tamaki. The blond had multiple ladies around him and he was flirting with the lot. Kyoya smirked, shaking his head at his friend. The man never could 'disappoint' a woman.

He turned away from them however, avoiding their gaze. He did not wish to have to deal with their incompetence as of yet. He decided to make his way over to the terrace, hoping the fresh air would clear his clouded mind.

He walked to the end of the terrace, resting his arms on the stone railing. Tilting his head to the sky, Kyoya stared at the stars. He always felt calmer under the twinkling lights, just as his mother had. It made him feel closer to her, as if the stars connected them, for a brief wordless meeting. As his eyes darted around the sky, he briefly wondered if she would be proud of him now, and where his life was undoubtedly heading.

A muffled shriek and the shuffling of feet roused him from his thoughts. Kyoya turned his head in time to see a burly man shove a woman against the stone wall of the building. She cried out, in surprise, pain or both, Kyoya couldn't tell. Her face was completely hidden behind an intricately woven bronze mask. Only her mouth would have been visible, had it not been covered by the man's hand.

"Shhh, we don't want anyone to catch us now, do we?" The man whispered in her ear, his other hand placed rather firmly on her waist.

The woman tried to protest, but her every word was muffled by the man's hand.

"That's what I thought." The man began to enthusiastically kiss her neck.

Kyoya stood to his full height, looking on at the man in disgust. Despite his revulsion, the part of his brain that had been trained meticulously, ran through what could happen if this man was his target.

The girl noticed Kyoya's movement, and desperately tried to get his attention.

He nodded at the woman as he walked up behind the man. Target or not, the woman didn't deserve to have this happen to her. Kyoya cleared his throat, arms crossed. "This kind of behaviour isn't allowed here."

The man turned to glare at Kyoya, though he replied with some courteousness, "I apologize, we were just leaving." With one look at his face, Kyoya realized it wasn't the man he was after. _Too chubby,_ he thought. His lip curled in disappointment. _The search will continue, it seems. Here I was hoping to kill two birds with one stone..._

"That woman is not going anywhere with you."

The man dropped all pleasant pretenses as he outright glared at Kyoya. He let go of the woman and snarled at Kyoya in anger.

"Why is that? She approached me, courted me, and seduced me. I was simply taking her up on her offer."

"Did she offer you her flower?" Kyoya had already notice a blue flower still pinned at her waist with in folds of her skirt. "You haven't gotten the approval of the woman unless she offered you her flower."

The man turned, taking notice of the delicate flower at her waist. "Well, I can make quick work of that." He reached out his hand to grab the flower.

Kyoya's hand promptly reached out to grab the man's wrist, stopping his movement. He tightened his hand for a moment, warning, as he narrowed his eyes threateningly. "You do not grab the lady's flower, she must present it to you. Do I have to go tell our wonderful host that one of her guests has broken the rules? I'm sure they would be glad to punish you."

The man didn't bother opening his mouth, he just turned and swung with his other arm.

Kyoya didn't see the attack coming. His head snapped to the side, his jaw beginning to bruise from the force of the hit. For a brief moment, he cursed himself. There was no reason he should not have foreseen the attack.

He turned to the woman. "Go." Wide eyed, she nodded, running back inside. With the woman gone, Kyoya felt more comfortable to fight the man full force.

The man was better at fighting than he had presumed, and once again cursed himself for not taking his father's teachings more seriously. With his back turned, the man ran at Kyoya, roughly pushing him to the ground. "You're all talk. What good are words, if you can't act on them?"

Kyoya wiped the blood of his lip as he glared at the man, standing. "Obviously you don't understand words, otherwise you would have realised when to give up."

The man blinked, trying to figure out what Kyoya meant. Though he didn't want to show weakness in front of such a 'girly' man, simply taking the time to think about what Kyoya said, proved his point. So, the burly man resorted back to his insults. "How can you call yourself a man, if you cannot fight?"

Kyoya smirked, knowing he had the upper hand on the man. "I can fight better than the next man. I simply have enough education to know that it isn't always the answer."

"Prove it then. Prove that you can fight." With all the anger the man had at Kyoya for both insulting him and taking away his woman, he charged. As soon as he was close enough, he threw another punch. Prepared, Kyoya blocked the man's arm. He deflected it . The movement allowed Kyoya to step behind the man. In a second Kyoya pressed his foot against the inside of the man's knee. With a guiding hand on his shoulder, the man fell.

All the air flew from the man's lungs when he hit the ground. Kyoya leaned over him. "This shows that your 'violence' means nothing if you don't have the brain to back it up."

By this time guards rushed onto the terrace. Having seen Kyoya throw the other man to the ground they came to their conclusions. The leader ordered half of them to grab Kyoya, and restrain him. Then ordered the other half to help the other man off the floor.

"Bring this man to the King, he would like to have word with him on how to properly treat the guests." The leader said to the others holding Kyoya.

"I did not attack the woman." Kyoya protested calmly.

The other man smirked at Kyoya, seeming to taunt wordlessly. "He attacked me!" The man exclaimed pointing to Kyoya. "I was trying to help that woman, when he turned on me and attacked me for no reason!"

"There does not seem to be a mistake here," The guard said, looking at Kyoya disapprovingly.

Kyoya sighed, if only there wasn't a rule for everyone to keep their identities a secret. With one word, he could have this whole mess over and done with. Instead, he had to do it the long way. "Should you not ask the woman what happened to her? She was the victim."

"We already got a report from the woman in question. She told us a man had attacked her and there was another man being hurt for helping her."

"Did she tell you what her attacker looked like?" Kyoya asked, referring to the difference in his hair and the other man's.

The guard looked speechless, mouth open, as he realized, she hadn't. He closed his mouth, "I'll retrieve the woman."

Kyoya looked at the man from the corner of his mask slyly, smirking. The man silently glared, as the group of them waited for the woman's arrival.

She promptly walked onto the terrace behind the guard moments later. Her eyes widened behind her mask as she saw her savior restrained and her attacker able to move freely.

She grabbed the guard's arm, "No," she said softly. "You have it wrong. That man," she pointed to Kyoya, "saved me. _He_ attacked me." She pointed to the burly man angrily.

In a matter of seconds, the guards had let go of Kyoya and had the other man restrained. They quickly and quietly dragged the now cursing man through the hall, trying to keep the guests undisturbed. The leader apologized to Kyoya before exiting. The woman and Kyoya were left alone.

She now looked at the ground, hands clasped in front of her, in a shy gesture. "I should thank you for saving me." She closed her eyes, unable to look her savior in his captivating eyes.

"It was my pleasure. " Kyoya bowed, before his voice took on a poisonous tone, "I hate boys like him who call themselves men. A man does not force himself on a woman."

The woman looked up in shock at Kyoya's hostility. In that moment, she was glad that she wasn't on the receiving end. Eventually, she smiled, "It's nice to see men with chivalry these days."

Kyoya smiled slightly his mind racing, "As am I to find the best company of the night." _She might have some information,_ his brain whispered to him.

The woman's eyes widened, and her neck flushed. Kyoya assumed that her cheeks were also red behind her mask.

"Do I get to learn your name?" Kyoya asked with a bow. Another, more influential part of his brain, wished to simply get to know the woman simply to know her.

"You may call me Blue Bell, for now. Until the night's end, that is." Blue Bell curtsied. "What is the name of my gracious savior then?"

"You may call me the Shadow King." Kyoya replied with a small smirk, using the code name he had chosen for the night.

"Very well. Would you like to lead me through a dance, Shadow King?" Blue Bell held out her hand to Kyoya, as welcoming smile spread across her face.

"I would be honored." He took her hand, placing his other behind his back, he led her to the dance floor.

The musicians started a new tune and Kyoya easily started to lead Blue Bell across the dance floor.

For the first part of the dance, Kyoya knew Blue Bell was looking at the bruise that painted his jaw. After a few moments, the hand that was resting on his shoulder now caressed the bruise. Kyoya looked into her green eyes to see a deep sadness.

"You got hurt protecting me."

"It is nothing if your integrity remains."

"I wish I could make it heal faster, or even have helped. I was so useless, standing there as he hit you." Her eyes cast downwards.

"You were very helpful, when you went to get the guards," Kyoya pointed out.

Blue Bell shook her head. "That's not it. I can't do much. I can look pretty, I can sit and talk with others, but I can't do anything that involves physical labour. I hate it. I hate that the men have to do everything for me."

"What's stopping you from doing things yourself? Why not get better, and do things for yourself?"

"Because it's not what a _proper_ lady would do." Blue Bell sneered.

Kyoya leaned in, causing Blue Bell's neck to flush slightly. Secretly, it amused Kyoya, how easily she blushed. "If it means anything, I'd much prefer an improper lady then." He couldn't afford to have a liability, and a woman who depended on others saving her was a liability.

Blue Bell met Kyoya's eyes, the green orbs shining with hope and amazement. Then she smiled. "You're the first man I've ever met to have beliefs like that."

Kyoya's friends watched him dance with Blue Bell closely.

"Is the Shadow King dancing...?" The red haired Hikaru, asked.

"...With a woman?" Hikaru's twin, Kaoru finished.

The blond man who had women all around him, spoke happily, "Daddy is so proud of Mommy."

The twins looked at him from the corner of their eyes as they spoke in a whiny tone. "Milord, you should stop using such references. You will give other people the wrong idea."

"I agree with Tamaki," the small man, called Honey agreed, smiling brightly. "Right, Takashi?" He looked over to his taller cousin.

"Ah." Was Takashi's-more commonly known as Mori-agreement.

"See!" Tamaki exclaimed. He turned quickly to face the twins, "I won the bet, Kyoya has found a woman. Pay up."

The twins shook their heads. "He hasn't actually got her yet. He hasn't received her flower."

Tamaki pouted, crouching down in the shadow of one of the stone pillars.

"Don't be sad, Prince!" The girls exclaimed rushing over to him, desperately trying to comfort him.

Once again in the attention of the ladies, Tamaki composed himself. He easily began to charm them once again.

"I wonder why Tamaki hasn't accepted any of the women's flowers yet. Some of them blatantly offered theirs to him," Kaoru muttered thoughtfully, watching Tamaki decline yet another flower.

"He probably has his eye on a certain woman," Honey said happily, eating some sweets, with Mori watching him thoughtfully.

"Kaoru, would you be interested in another bet?" Hikaru asked his twin mischievously.

Kaoru smiled, a glint in his eye. "What did you have in mind?"

"Tamaki will receive a flower before Kyoya."

Kaoru held out his hand. "You're on."

By the time the third dance ended, Blue Bell was laughing with joy as Kyoya watched her, a hint of a smile on his face.

"Thank you for a lovely dance," She curtsied, and Kyoya bowed.

"It was my pleasure. Shall I lead us towards some refreshments?" Kyoya held out his arm.

"Please do." She took his arm, and they walked away from the crowded dance floor. Kyoya left her for a moment to grab two glasses. He handed her one, lifting his in a silent 'cheers'. Blue Bell copied the action.

After taking a sip from her glass, she titled her head to the side, studying Kyoya. "You haven't laughed and barely smiled all night."

Kyoya watched her, face in its neutral expression. "I'm not one to laugh or smile easily."

Blue Bell frown. "That's sad. I hear you live longer, the more you smile and laugh."

"Then you will live a long and prosperous life."

Blue Bell smiled at the compliment. She leaned against a nearby pillar. "Do you not want to live a long and prosperous life?"

Kyoya took a sip of his drink, trying to hide his discomfort with the topic. "I do not hope on it too much."

Blue Bell's head tilted to the side as she frowned her eyes shining with sympathy. "Is it because you have an illness, one the doctors can not heal?"

Kyoya held her gaze, "All I can say while abiding the rules for tonight is that it is due to my duty."

Blue Bell's eyes widened as she came to a realization. "Are you a soldier?"

The corner of Kyoya's mouth turned down. He had been expecting that response. "Do you wish to dance again?" He asked, quickly changing the subject to avoid answering.

Blue Bell blinked at the sudden subject change. Her eyes quickly narrowed as she realized what he did. She opened her mouth to respond when another woman interrupted her.

"Blue Bell, dear, we have been looking for you. Your father and I wish to have a little chat with you, introduce you to somebody." Kyoya looked towards the woman he figured to be Blue Bell's mother. He found it odd, though, to see her wearing a mask. He was under the impression only the people who were unwed were wearing masks. His eyes tightened as he tried to reason it out.

While still looking at Kyoya, she let out a little exasperated sigh, though she watched him skeptically. When she looked towards the other woman however, she was smiling. "Of course, Mother, just give me a moment." She turned to Kyoya again. Stepping forward, she unfastened the blue bell flower from her gown. She held it out to him, "Will you accept this, so I can learn your real name by the end of the night?"

Kyoya blinked once in shock, returning his attention to the girl in front of him. He had not expected this to happen. He hadn't expected to find a woman tonight. Looking down at Blue Bell's covered face, he could see her eyes sparkle. Eyes that had unbeknowingly brought him a lot of joy on a night he planned on feeling nothing. Despite knowing it would anger his father, Kyoya hardly found it within himself to care.

With a-genuine-smile, Kyoya took Blue Bell's flower. "Only if I get to learn your name as well."

Her smile widened. "Of course." She hugged him. "You smiled." She whispered in his ear happily.

"Don't tell anybody," He whispered back jokingly. After a moment he let her go so she could speak with her parents. Watching her go, Kyoya placed the flower in the customary spot of his jacket's breast pocket.

Once again alone, Kyoya repressed his feelings of joy. He hadn't gotten any closer to completing the mission his father wanted him to complete and he knew his father wasn't going to be happy about that. With a sigh, Kyoya decided to seek out his father. Maybe he had picked up more information by talking to various guests. New, useful information would be worth dealing with his father's hostile reactions.

He found his father fairly easily, talking with three other unmasked men. Kyoya approached slowly, and stood next to his father, waiting for a moment to cut in.

His father took notice of more than just his presence however, and led him away from the group of men after excusing himself. He raised his eyebrow as he stared at the blue flower. "Have you completed the mission? I'm assuming the ruckus I heard outside was progress?"

Kyoya winced, knowing his next words would incite a great deal of unpleasantness. "No. Another man was trying to take advantage of a woman. I couldn't stand by as he did such vile things."

As Kyoya expected, his father's eyes narrowed and his fist clenched. "And the woman gave you her flower in thanks, I presume."

Kyoya shook his head. He said no more on the subject, knowing if he continued, it would only anger his father more. He already seemed to have gotten off lightly.

"It seems like the information I had gathered ends up being rather necessary," Kyoya's father glared at Kyoya as he said this. Though his clenched hand seemed to relax. Kyoya kept his face blank however. He was used to his father's anger.

"The man has a female accomplice. He has her flower, which is a white rose, the same colour as her dress. Unfortunately, there is another woman who has a white rose, but her dress is black, and she should still currently posses her flower."

Kyoya bowed his head to his father, "Thank you for the information father, I will put it to work quickly." He caught sight of his friends, gathered with a large crowd of women. Perhaps the woman accomplice was among them... Kyoya mentally sighed. He'd have to talk to Tamaki... "Father, if you would excuse me." He turned to leave when his father nodded and headed towards his friends. As sad as it was for him to admit, he was going to need some help.

Tamaki was the first to notice him, even though he was swarmed by women. "Ah! Ky-Shadow King!" Tamaki exclaimed. Kyoya glared when Tamaki almost let his real name loose to the women.

"Prince, I thought you told me there was a _specific woman_ you were after tonight." Kyoya looked pointedly at the women surrounding Tamaki.

"I can't leave any of these beautiful women unhappy. There's enough of me to go around."

Kyoya sighed. "I'm sure the other woman wouldn't agree."

The twins had made their way over to him standing on either side of him. They quickly noticed the accessory that now adorned his breast pocket.

"It seems that the great Shadow King has accepted a certain _gift_." Kaoru said from Kyoya's left smirking across at his brother. "Pay up."

Hikaru grumbled as he fished out the required amount of money.

"Hey! You Devil Twins owe me money! I won our bet too!" Tamaki exclaimed jumping up and down with his hand extended expectantly.

Kyoya sighed at their incompetence. Deciding to approach Tamaki later about the matter later. Instead, he made his way over to Honey and Mori.

Honey caught sight of him first and skipped over, Mori following close behind.

"Are you happy with the woman?" Honey asked, staring up at him with a smile on his face, with spots of jam decorated around it. Sometimes, it was even hard for Kyoya to believe that Honey was older than himself.

Kyoya carefully avoided Honey's question. He always felt uncomfortable when discussing topics such as feelings. "I just found out that the hours for work tomorrow have doubled."

Honey's happy expression turned serious and Mori became much more interested in the conversation.

"In the morning or afternoon?" Honey asked.

"Morning. I can take those extra hours if you can cover my afternoon shift."

Honey nodded. "We can do that, right Takeshi?"

"Ah," Mori agreed.

A while later he had managed to drag Tamaki away from the women long enough to ask if he had come into contact with the woman in the white dress, he had declined. This left Kyoya looking around the room most of the night looking for the woman, while trying to discreetly avoid Blue Bell. He couldn't be distracted any longer.

He saw multiple white dresses throughout the night, but all of them had a flower adorning their skirts. It wasn't until the night was almost over before he caught sight of a flowerless white gown.

"I'll be a moment. I need to speak with someone else." He muttered to Honey and Mori, whom he had spent most of the night with, unable to stand the other three's incompetence. He nodded to them quickly before following the woman.

She stopped in front of a table filled with food allowing Kyoya to make his move. "Are those any good?" He motioned towards the food she currently had in her hand. "I heard it was the chef's special. I was planning to try one myself, but I wasn't sure."

The woman jumped, accidentally dropping her food.

Kyoya watched the woman's face as the food hit the ground with a splat. Her mouth twitched, hands clenched and her eyes narrowed behind her mask.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I startle you?" Kyoya kept his voice casual.

"Ootori." She hissed, glaring at him from the corner of her eye.

Kyoya feigned shock, though his mouth pulled up into a smirk. "Oh my, you know my name? Have we happened to have met before?"

The woman's mouth pulled into a frown, and her hand flew towards a layer of her skirt.

Sensing her plan, Kyoya quickly caught the woman's wrist, twisting. "That wouldn't be a smart move." He growled, his voice losing any sense of the pleasantries it had before.

The woman glowered. "Let go of my hand."

"It was foolish of you to do this, knowing there would be eyes watching you."

The hand in Kyoya's grasp jerked back, but Kyoya kept a strong hold on it, twisting it further. The woman hissed.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She protested through her teeth.

Kyoya raised an eyebrow. Leaning down, he reached within the layer of the woman's skirt with his other hand. He immediately felt the cool metal.

The woman shrieked. "How dare you touch a woman like that!"

Kyoya made no reply. Her voice couldn't compete with the voices of the other guests and the music.

She pulled away from him roughly, trying to get Kyoya's hand away from her skirt. Unfortunately for her, Kyoya had a strong grip on the knife and it slid free from its binding as she moved.

She cried out as her sudden movement jerked her twisted arm. Kyoya felt no mercy for her though.

Holding the blade carefully in his hand, he lifted the hilt to her eyes. "If you're so innocent, why do hide a blade beneath your skirt?"

The woman glared. "To protect myself from attackers like yourself."

Kyoya leaned closer, with a glare cold enough to make the woman shiver. "To protect yourself from an attacker, or to _be_ the attacker?"

Her jaw clenched and in a movement Kyoya did not expect, she grabbed the blade pulling it out of his hand. The movement caused the blade to cut Kyoya's hand.

He didn't make a sound, he didn't move an inch, much to the woman's displeasure. But Kyoya wasn't weak when it came to pain.

She, however, seemed enchanted by the blood. She watched it as it began to trail down his hand.

Throughout this whole encounter, Blue Bell watched a good distance away. Her heart broke, as she watched Kyoya flirt with the woman.

She had given him her flower, and he had accepted it, yet, he still flirted with that annoying blond woman.

Her eyes widened and she felt her heart burn in pain as Kyoya's hand reached for the woman's skirts.

Tears welled up in Blue Bell's eyes, and she choked back a sob. She realized she didn't know the Shadow King as well as others might, but she had hoped that there was a chance that she could. She thought that when he accepted her flower, he was accepting her for who she was. Even when he didn't know _who_ she was. They had seemed to have connected during the night. Perhaps she had misjudged him.

She turned on her heel, unable to watch the scene any longer. She couldn't stand to see the face of the man who had taken her flower then interact so intimately with another woman.

Blue Bell ran. She ran as fast as she could to the terrace, tears blinding her. She braced herself against the stone railing the moment she was close enough and let the sobs wrack her body.

She was being ridiculous. She shouldn't let a man she just met hurt her this way. He didn't deserve to. She should just walk up to him and demand her flower back.

Blue Bell shook her head. No, she couldn't do that. Even though she hardly knew him, he was different than all the others. He hadn't judged her, and he didn't believe she was only good for her looks. Most of all, he could make her laugh and feel happy, like she didn't have to worry anymore. That she was safe.

No matter how hard she tried to convince herself, Blue Bell couldn't shake the image of the Shadow King's hand travelling closer to the other woman's skirt.

How could he do such a thing after saving her from a man who had been trying the same thing? Hadn't he said he hated men who forced themselves on women?

Was the woman willing then? Had she fallen for his flirting? She couldn't deny that the Shadow King's charm was potent enough for such a thing to happen.

"Are you all right, Miss?"

Blue Bell turned, jumping slightly, shocked a man's sudden presence. Her teary eyes managed to catch sight of a white flower in his breast pocket. It left her feeling comfortable enough to talk to him. She wiped her eyes, nodding. "I'm fine."

The man continued walking closer to her until he stood beside her. "You don't look alright."

Blue Bell shook her head. "It's nothing, just a simple misunderstanding on my part."

"Did a man refuse your flower?"

She laughed once without humor. "No, more like seduced another woman after accepting it."

"That man must not realize how lucky he was to have a beauty such as yourself present him with her flower."

Blue Bell smiled lightly. "You're too kind." She turned her attention to the stars, as the smile once again fell from her face. Maybe she was simply over reacting.

In a second she felt something cold and sharp pressed up against her throat and for the second time that night, a hand pressed against her mouth.

Her breathing grew ragged in fear.

"Don't scream," He whispered sinisterly in her ear as he began to lead her back into the main hall.

Kyoya now stood to the side of the room with the white clad woman. He had a few minor scratches along his arms, and the cut on his hand was still bleeding. Though the woman was backed against the wall, the blade against her neck. He had positioned his body carefully so that to any on looker, it would seem like a simple lovers' embrace.

"You won't stop us. While you might think you have me contained here, my husband has probably already got the Princess." She sneered up at Kyoya, "Why do you protect her so easily? Why do you protect your monarchs? They live in the lap of luxury while their people struggle day in and day out."

Kyoya's mouth twitched in distaste, but said nothing. This woman didn't deserve anymore of his words.

A few screams alerted him, making him switch his position. He now stood behind the woman, blade to her throat. From this angle he could see the ruckus and keep an eye on the assassin at the same time.

What he saw made his eyes widen in shock.

A man, with a white flower in his jacket pocket, walked into the room, dragging a woman in an elegant bronzed dress. He had a knife to her throat, and a hand over her mouth.

Blue Bell was the target. She was the Princess.

"Attention, ladies and gentlemen. Today you will witness the assassination of your beloved Princess. Unless your king and queen give up the crown and support the birth of a new government!" The man bellowed across the hall. All the music, all the dancing, all the talking; it all stopped. Everyone's attention was solely on the captured princess.

"This was your plan?" Kyoya hissed in the woman's ear.

The woman only laughed.

"No!" The female voice yelled out in despair. "Don't hurt my daughter!" Kyoya quickly recognized the voice of the masked woman who had taken Blue Bell off to the side to speak with her earlier that night. He had been in the presence of the queen and not even realized it.

At the front of the room, the queen stood, being restrained by her husband.

The man smirked and pressed the blade tighter against Blue Bell's throat. She didn't dare breathe. "Do you agree to give up the crown?"

"I-"

"Let the Princess go," Kyoya demanded from within the crowd, his voice ice cold.

The man looked out at the crowd confused.

Kyoya stepped out into view. "Or I'll kill this woman." Blue Bell gasped when she saw Kyoya step out of the crowd with a similar blade against the blonde's throat. Relief flooded through her body.

The man laughed. "What makes you think I care if that woman lives or not? You aren't as good as you think you are, Ootori."

This surprised both the woman and Blue Bell, causing them to gasp. The Shadow King was an Ootori? He worked for her family's secret service? Blue Bell's mind was whirling.

Kyoya smirked when he heard the woman's gasp. The man wouldn't risk this woman's life.

"So you wouldn't care if your wife died?"

The man's eyes flickered nervously to his wife, before they steeled over and he spoke with confidence. "Go ahead, it won't stop me from killing your woman."

Kyoya tilted his head in a way that made Blue Bell nervous. Would he really sacrifice her life to catch the criminal? He couldn't, everything he was fighting for would fall to ruins. He would lose the trust of the royal family for his family name.

Kyoya suddenly smirked, "What if it was your life on the line, as well as hers?"

Confusion flashed over the man's face before he felt a blade at his throat, and another pressed against his back.

"Let the princess go," Honey demanded, glaring at the criminal so harshly, it was hard to imagine he had looked so innocent before.

Mori tightened his hold on the weapons he had pressed against the man's throat and back, "Do it."

The man was staring down at Honey in fear, "Okay," he said. He removed his blade from the Blue Bell's neck, only to plunge it deep in her middle.

Blue Bell screamed at the amount of pain that was suddenly burning her midsection whole.

Mori had grabbed hold of the man more firmly, trapping his arms as he held the man against his body. He had moved the blade from the attacker's back to his front. It was positioned so it could easily piece the man's heart. Blue Bell fell, but Honey was quick enough to catch her.

Kyoya wanted to rush to Blue Bell's side, to make sure she was okay but he couldn't just yet. He still had the woman firmly in his hold. He wanted to kill her, and rush over and kill the man, all in one go. Have it all over and done with but he had to remember that it was the King and Queen's decision. It wasn't his place to condemn the criminals to death in this moment, but he wasn't about to let them get scot free either for attacking his woman.

Kyoya met the man's gaze with a glare, holding it as he released the blade from his wife's neck. He quickly replaced it with his arm and in one swift movement, he copied the man and plunged the blade in the woman's midsection.

She too cried out in pain, her body trying to fold in on its self but was unable to do so due to Kyoya's hold.

The man's eye twitched and he struggled against Mori's hold. The only thing he succeed in doing was scratch himself on the blades.

"An eye for an eye, don't you agree?" Kyoya said, tilting his head as he watched the man.

He glared defiantly back at Kyoya and struggled again, hurting himself further. "Curse you Ootori. I hope you rot in hell."

"I won't be the one rotting."

By this time, the guards managed to jump into action seeing that their participation wouldn't harm the Princess. Within moments, both criminals were bound and were being dragged out of the hall.

The moment the guards had the woman, Kyoya rushed over to Honey and Blue Bell.

"How is she?" Kyoya asked Honey.

"She's fine. It wasn't a fatal wound, plus, she's a fighter." He smiled up at Kyoya with his usual happy Honey attitude. "I would prescribe something sweet to eat as soon as you're bandaged." Blue Bell laughed weakly before groaning at the pain the action caused.

Kyoya nodded curtly to Honey, before taking Blue Bell into his arms. He was thankful that she was still conscious and her eyes were open even if her breathing irregular. Once she saw Kyoya, she smiled. "I get why you call yourself the Shadow King now." She laughed once, before groaning and grasping her wound.

Kyoya's lip twitched to form the slightest smile.

"You're smiling." Blue Bell pointed out happily.

"Only for the special few."

The King and Queen soon were by Blue Bell's side.

"Thank you once again, Mr. Ootori." The King said, holding his hand out for Kyoya to shake. The Queen knelt down by her daughter as Kyoya stood to address the King.

Kyoya took his hand. "It was my pleasure, Your Highness."

"It seems my daughter chose well." He nodded towards the flower that was still in Kyoya's jacket pocket.

"If Your Highness would allow it, I would like to get to know your daughter better."

The King smiled. "I would trust no one better to take care of my daughter. But if she gets harmed because of you or on your watch, I will come after you." He glared at Kyoya seriously.

"As I expect you would."

The King nodded, before addressing his wife. "Let's take her up stairs and get her wounds treated. Unfortunately the unmasking will have to wait for another night, for you two."

"I understand completely. If there is anything I can do to help, just call on me."

The King nodded once, with a slight smile as he picked up his daughter carefully, carrying her up the grand stair case and out of sight.

It took a few moments, but soon the party resumed and Kyoya hid himself in the crowd once again.

"I'm proud of you, son. You most definitely would be in the running to carry on the family business."

Kyoya looked up at his father suspiciously. "I'm not getting it though, am I?"

His father smiled, "It seems you won't need it."

Kyoya stared at his father in disbelief. He made his father proud and he smiled, all in one conversation. Pride swelled with in Kyoya's chest. He bowed, "Thank you father."

"I still expect you to continue with the business until the wedding, though." His father said, his strict tone back in place.

Still smiling, Kyoya replied, "Of course father." Just like his father to be thinking that far into the future.

The twins and Tamaki attacked him next. Tamaki gave him a hug, and congratulated him on both saving the princess and capturing her heart.

Kyoya was quick to call on Tamaki's over exaggeration. He noticed with a grin though, the orange daisy that was now placed in his jacket pocket. "You managed to settle with one woman?"

Tamaki smiled broadly. "It was her all along. I couldn't help it if the ladies were swarming me all night."

"I'm sure you'll be happy with Haruhi."

Tamaki spluttered. "How did you know?"

"She approached me before the ball. She had feared you were going to be swarmed. I told her to wait until the other women had gotten too tired and left." Kyoya smirked. "You're welcome."

"You really are the Shadow King," The twins chorused. "Don't want to be on your bad side when you become king."

As he returned home later that night, Kyoya couldn't help but think back on the day's events. Though everything hadn't gone exactly as planned, it still ended up being a good night. One that as he continued to look back on it, he couldn't help but smile.

For the first time in a long while, Kyoya felt truly happy.

**So what did you guys think? I hope it wasn't too confusing or anything. I was trying to spread the information throughout the story so you wouldn't be bored with read a long paragraph about it. Though, if you have questions feel free to ask.**

**Again, the links to Blue Bell's dress and mask are at the top of the page if you're interested. **

**Thanks for reading, even if you don't review. :)**


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